Fair Value Measurements - Financial Assets, Temporary Equity, and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015
Financial assets:
Investment in unconsolidated affiliate	$ 57,656	$ 56,182	$ 90,423
Level 1
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	29,380	56,244	113,405
Restricted cash	5,000	144	218
Pawn loans	0	0	0
Pawn service charges receivable, net	0	0	0
Investment in unconsolidated affiliate	49,194	56,182	81,426
Total	99,182	133,326	226,806
Temporary equity:
Common Stock, subject to possible redemption		0	0
Total		0	0
Financial liabilities:
2.125% cash convertible senior notes due 2019	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0
Level 2
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0	0
Pawn loans	0	0	0
Pawn service charges receivable, net	0	0	0
Investment in unconsolidated affiliate	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0
Temporary equity:
Common Stock, subject to possible redemption		0	0
Total		0	0
Financial liabilities:
2.125% cash convertible senior notes due 2019	190,762	169,050	181,746
Total	306,008	341,313	379,071
Level 3
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0	0
Pawn loans	160,269	159,964	144,377
Pawn service charges receivable, net	29,643	30,852	26,989
Investment in unconsolidated affiliate	0	0	0
Total	326,489	357,846	339,834
Temporary equity:
Common Stock, subject to possible redemption		11,438	11,241
Total		16,905	44,538
Financial liabilities:
2.125% cash convertible senior notes due 2019	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0
Carrying Value
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	29,380	56,244	113,405
Restricted cash	5,000	144	218
Pawn loans	160,269	159,964	144,377
Pawn service charges receivable, net	29,643	30,852	26,989
Investment in unconsolidated affiliate	57,656	56,182	90,423
Total	380,355	450,895	540,222
Temporary equity:
Common Stock, subject to possible redemption		11,696	11,696
Total		14,931	28,014
Financial liabilities:
2.125% cash convertible senior notes due 2019	195,221	187,471	184,765
Total	312,292	361,006	376,281
Estimated Fair Value
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	29,380	56,244	113,405
Restricted cash	5,000	144	218
Pawn loans	160,269	159,964	144,377
Pawn service charges receivable, net	29,643	30,852	26,989
Investment in unconsolidated affiliate	49,194	56,182	81,426
Total	425,671	491,172	566,640
Temporary equity:
Common Stock, subject to possible redemption		11,438	11,241
Total		16,905	44,538
Financial liabilities:
2.125% cash convertible senior notes due 2019	190,762	169,050	181,746
Total	306,008	341,313	379,071
Discontinued Operations | Level 1
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,728	2,880	982
Restricted cash	11,654	14,993	27,797
Consumer loans, net — discontinued operations	0	0	0
Consumer loan fees and interest receivable, net — discontinued operations	0	0	0
Restricted cash, non-current — discontinued operations	2,226	2,883	2,978
Non-current consumer loans, net — discontinued operations	0	0	0
Temporary equity:
Redeemable noncontrolling interest — discontinued operations	0	0	0
Discontinued Operations | Level 1 | 5.8% Consumer loans facility due 2019
Financial liabilities:
Consumer loans facility	0	0	0
Discontinued Operations | Level 1 | Unsecured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	0	0	0
Discontinued Operations | Level 1 | Secured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	0	0	0
Discontinued Operations | Level 1 | Foreign currency debt
Financial liabilities:
Debt instrument	0	0	0
Discontinued Operations | Level 2
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0	0
Consumer loans, net — discontinued operations	0	0	0
Consumer loan fees and interest receivable, net — discontinued operations	0	0	0
Restricted cash, non-current — discontinued operations	0	0	0
Non-current consumer loans, net — discontinued operations	0	0	0
Temporary equity:
Redeemable noncontrolling interest — discontinued operations	0	0	0
Discontinued Operations | Level 2 | 5.8% Consumer loans facility due 2019
Financial liabilities:
Consumer loans facility	25,894	40,774	45,843
Discontinued Operations | Level 2 | Unsecured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	17,772	20,477	18,536
Discontinued Operations | Level 2 | Secured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	18,722	22,476	25,639
Discontinued Operations | Level 2 | Foreign currency debt
Financial liabilities:
Debt instrument	15,079	19,851	23,667
Discontinued Operations | Level 3
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0	0
Consumer loans, net — discontinued operations	34,896	43,731	47,605
Consumer loan fees and interest receivable, net — discontinued operations	11,390	19,105	13,595
Restricted cash, non-current — discontinued operations	0	0	0
Non-current consumer loans, net — discontinued operations	90,291	104,194	107,268
Temporary equity:
Redeemable noncontrolling interest — discontinued operations	3,109	5,467	33,297
Discontinued Operations | Level 3 | 5.8% Consumer loans facility due 2019
Financial liabilities:
Consumer loans facility	0	0	0
Discontinued Operations | Level 3 | Unsecured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	0	0	0
Discontinued Operations | Level 3 | Secured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	0	0	0
Discontinued Operations | Level 3 | Foreign currency debt
Financial liabilities:
Debt instrument	0	0	0
Discontinued Operations | Carrying Value
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,728	2,880	982
Restricted cash	11,654	14,993	27,797
Consumer loans, net — discontinued operations	19,905	31,824	36,719
Consumer loan fees and interest receivable, net — discontinued operations	11,390	19,105	13,595
Restricted cash, non-current — discontinued operations	2,226	2,883	2,978
Non-current consumer loans, net — discontinued operations	51,504	75,824	82,739
Temporary equity:
Redeemable noncontrolling interest — discontinued operations	(2,410)	3,235	16,318
Discontinued Operations | Carrying Value | 5.8% Consumer loans facility due 2019
Financial liabilities:
Consumer loans facility	25,669	40,493	43,900
Discontinued Operations | Carrying Value | Unsecured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	17,665	20,987	18,082
Discontinued Operations | Carrying Value | Secured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	18,068	20,286	22,117
Discontinued Operations | Carrying Value | Foreign currency debt
Financial liabilities:
Debt instrument	14,826	18,505	20,602
Discontinued Operations | Estimated Fair Value
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,728	2,880	982
Restricted cash	11,654	14,993	27,797
Consumer loans, net — discontinued operations	34,896	43,731	47,605
Consumer loan fees and interest receivable, net — discontinued operations	11,390	19,105	13,595
Restricted cash, non-current — discontinued operations	2,226	2,883	2,978
Non-current consumer loans, net — discontinued operations	90,291	104,194	107,268
Temporary equity:
Redeemable noncontrolling interest — discontinued operations	3,109	5,467	33,297
Discontinued Operations | Estimated Fair Value | 5.8% Consumer loans facility due 2019
Financial liabilities:
Consumer loans facility	25,894	40,774	45,843
Discontinued Operations | Estimated Fair Value | Unsecured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	17,772	20,477	18,536
Discontinued Operations | Estimated Fair Value | Secured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	18,722	22,476	25,639
Discontinued Operations | Estimated Fair Value | Foreign currency debt
Financial liabilities:
Debt instrument	15,079	19,851	23,667
Discontinued Operations | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Level 1 | Secured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	0	0	0
Discontinued Operations | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Level 2 | Secured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	37,779	68,685	83,640
Discontinued Operations | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Level 3 | Secured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	0	0	0
Discontinued Operations | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Carrying Value | Secured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	40,843	73,264	86,815
Discontinued Operations | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Estimated Fair Value | Secured notes
Financial liabilities:
Notes	$ 37,779	$ 68,685	$ 83,640